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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310218

Title: Climate change risks to our snowmelt water supply and possible adaptation responses in the southwest U.S.

Author
item Rango, Albert
item ELIAS, EMILE - New Mexico State University
item STEELE, CAITI - New Mexico State University

Submitted to: Western Snow Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: More than 50% of the general public and more than 85% of the scientific community now believe that climate change is occurring in the form of atmospheric warming, and that human activity is causing it. In the southwestern United States, if this is indeed happening, the snowpack, which is the source of most water supplies, is also being affected. We have looked at 24 important snowmelt producing tributary basins of the Rio Grande. Using downscaled climate model runs as inputs to future runoff hydrographs produced by the Snowmelt Runoff Model, we find significant changes in several basins that you can view this week (by attending the presentations by Elias and Steele). The U.S. Government and President Obama have found this to be a major problem that needs to be addressed. This has resulted in the USDA establishing seven Regional Hubs across the U.S. for Risk Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change (Director: Al Rango, Southwest Hub). The Hubs will provide support for land managers to respond to drought, heat stress, floods, and changes in growing season; assessments and regional forecasts for hazard and adaptation planning; and outreach and education for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners on ways to mitigate risks and thrive despite change.